Castleton, Roxburghshire
Castleton is a parish in Roxburghshire, in the extreme south of the county adjacent to the borders of Cumberland, Dumfriesshire and Northumberland. Adjacent parishes are Teviothead, Cavers, Hobkirk and Southdean to the north; Kielder (in Northumberland) to the south-east; Bewcastle and Nicholforest (in Cumberland) to the south-west; and Canonbie and Ewes (in Dumfriesshire) to the west.
The area of the parish is approximately 68,000 acres,[1] making it the largest parish in the south of Scotland.[2] The parish consists of that part of Roxburghshire south of the Teviotdale watershed, whose rivers and watercourses drain into the Solway Firth to the west.[2]
The village of Castleton was commenced in 1793.[2] It was built as a result of the land clearances in the 1790s when people were forced to move from Old Castleton village. While the parish retained the name Castleton, the village later became identified as New Castleton [3] or Newcastleton.[1] The parish is also known by its older name Liddesdale.[4]
The inhabited part of the parish runs alongside the banks of Liddel Water and the Hermitage Water.[2] In the upper Hermitage valley is Hermitage Castle, a massive H-shaped fortress of enormous strength, one of the oldest surviving castles in Scotland. It stands on a hill overlooking Hermitage Water. It was built in 1244 by Nicholas de Soulis, and was captured by the English in David II's reign. It was retaken by Sir William Douglas, who received a grant of it from the king.
By the Liddel, upstream from Newcastleton, is the settlement of Riccarton. Nearby is the disused Riccarton Junction railway station.
Outside links
- Map: 55°10’46"N, 2°48’51"W
- RCAHMS record for Liddel viaduct
- RCAHMS record for Castleton Parish, Limekiln
- Scotland's Places: Castleton, Roxburghshire
